Nanowire transistor with source and drain induced by electrical contacts with negative Schottky barrier height

ABSTRACT

A nanowire transistor includes undoped source and drain regions electrically coupled with a channel region. A source stack that is electrically isolated from a gate conductor includes an interfacial layer and a source conductor, and is coaxially wrapped completely around the source region, extending along at least a portion of the source region. A Schottky barrier between the source conductor and the source region is a negative Schottky barrier and a concentration of free charge carriers is induced in the semiconductor source region.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a DIVISIONAL of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/816,231,filed Nov. 17, 2017, which is a NONPROVISIONAL of and incorporates byreference: (a) U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/424,176, filed Nov.18, 2016, and (b) U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/456,437, filedFeb. 8, 2017.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to semiconductor devices (e.g., diodes,transistors, etc.) having a region of undoped semiconductor materialthat is made effectively n-type or p-type by inducing a quantity ofelectrons or holes (respectively) on the semiconductor side of ametal-semiconductor junction by virtue of a negative Schottky barrierbetween the metal and the semiconductor.

BACKGROUND

With continued scaling of metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) field effecttransistors (FETs), the area available for making electrical contacts todoped semiconductor source/drain regions is decreasing. As aconsequence, the resistance of such contacts (which are typicallymetal-to-semiconductor contacts) is becoming an excessively largecomponent of the total electrical resistance of a transistor when it isswitched on. This undesired metal-semiconductor contact resistance isbecoming a very significant performance limiting factor for suchdevices, contributing both to wasted energy and reduced switching speeds(clocking rates) in digital integrated circuits comprising suchtransistors. Furthermore, the decreasing volume of doped source anddrain regions in state of the art transistors accommodates fewer dopantatoms, even at very high doping concentrations in excess of 10²⁰dopants/cm³. As a consequence, the variability in transistor performancethat is a result of variance in doping species number and placement ispredicted to become a significant problem in future, nanometer-scale MOStransistors, particularly in anticipated, gate-all-around nanowiretransistors.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a gate-all-around nanowire transistor 10. Inthis example, a gate wraps completely around a semiconductor channel. Agate oxide is disposed concentrically between the gate and the channel.Doped semiconductor source and drain regions are located at oppositeends of the channel and have associated circumferential contacts,typically metal silicide contacts, separated from the gate contact by angate sidewall spacer.

Contact resistance is conventionally calculated as “contact resistivity”divided by the area of the contact. Traditionally therefore contactresistance has been minimized by ensuring as low a contact resistivityand as large a contact area as technologically possible. According toPark et al., “Scaling effect on specific contact resistivity innano-scale metal-semiconductor contacts”, Proc. Device ResearchConference (2013), however, “initial results indicate that contactresistivity increases in the limit of very small contact areas and thatthe effect is stronger in the 3D wire case compared to the 2D wirecase.” Contact resistance of metal-semiconductor contacts is expected toincrease even more than a classical model would predict in the sizeregime of 10 nm and smaller due to the two-fold effects of increasingresistivity and decreasing contact area. There is then a seriousmetal-semiconductor contact resistance problem for present and futurenanoscale transistors that have contact dimensions of approximately 10nm or less.

Furthermore, in present day, state-of-the-art transistors, at nodessmaller than 20 nm, the semiconductor channel is fully depleted, whetherthe transistors are fully-depleted silicon-on-insulator (FDSOI) FETs,FinFETs, “tri-gate FETs”, nanowire FETs or gate-all-around FETs. Fullydepleted implies that the thickness of the semiconductor body thatincludes the channel and the parts of the source/drain adjoining thechannel are extremely thin, typically less than 12 nm or so. The partsof the source and drain that adjoin the channel may have a very smallvolume. When such transistors have conventional doped source/drainregions, the number of dopant atoms in the source and drain regionsproximate to the channel may be of the order of ten or fewer and thesedopants will have random placement. As such, the doping in any giventransistor is stochastic rather than deterministic and this can lead toexcessive variability in the electrical performance of a population oftransistors that form an integrated circuit.

To explain this problem in more detail, even at high doping levels inexcess of 10²⁰ dopant/cm³, the dopants are sparse, at most comprisingonly 2% of the atoms present in the source/drain regions and moretypically less than 1%. It has been recognized that when the volume ofsource/drain regions is small, the statistical variation of the numberand location of the dopant atoms introduces a very large variance in theelectrical responses of the transistors. See, e.g., Martinez et al.,“Quantum-Transport Study on the Impact of Channel Length and CrossSections on Variability Induced by Random Discrete Dopants in NarrowGate-All-Around Silicon Nanowire Transistors,” IEEE Trans. ElectronDevices, Vol. 58, No. 8, p. 2209 (2011). In this article, the authorspoint out that a transistor with an unfortunate configuration of dopantatoms in source/drain can have both an undesirably high “off” current(under zero gate bias) and an undesirably low “on” current (under highgate bias) relative to a transistor with a more favorable configurationof dopant atoms. In designing an integrated circuit, often comprisingseveral billion transistors, it is the “weak” transistors that determinethe performance of the whole circuit. That is, to obtain high yields ofmanufactured ICs it is necessary to design the circuit assumingtransistors are the inferior or weak type. Stated differently, theperformance of a circuit is determined by the weakest of the transistorsrather than the strongest. In modern statistical design of circuits, thedependence is more nuanced but it is generally true that given astatistical distribution of device characteristics across a largepopulation of transistors, the performance of a circuit is determinedmore by the low performance of the weaker transistors than the highperformance of the stronger transistors. What is preferred is to have apopulation of transistors with the variance in their electricalperformance as small as possible.

Quite apart from the severe contact resistance problem associated withnanoscale metal-semiconductor contacts, the statistical variance ofsource/drain doping thus presents another major challenge to furtherscaling of MOS transistors into the 7 nm node and beyond. Metalsource/drain transistors provide a solution to the dopant variabilityproblem in conventional doped source/drain technologies. Dopants can beeliminated if the source/drain regions are formed of a metal thatadjoins the undoped channel region and provides carriers to the channeldirectly without any need for doped semiconductor. Such metalsource/drain regions most desirably have a small Schottky barrier heightin order for their performance to be competitive with doped source/draincounterparts.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,833,556, 7,084,423, 7,112,478, 7,883,980, and9,362,376, all assigned to the assignee of the present invention andeach incorporated herein by reference, describe methods and structuresthat enable high performance metal source/drain field effecttransistors. Briefly, an electrical junction includes an interface layerdisposed between a contact metal and a semiconductor, and may comprise apassivation layer (which in some instances may be a monolayer) adjacentthe semiconductor and, optionally, a separation layer disposed betweenthe passivation layer and the metal. Various metals and semiconductorsmay be used, and the passivation layer may be an oxide of thesemiconductor or other material. The separation layer, if present, maybe a metal oxide. The very thin, interfacial dielectric layer betweenthe metal and semiconductor acts to reduce the Schottky barrier at thejunction from that which would exist in the absence of the interfacelayer, and at the same time has sufficient conductivity, despite beingitself a dielectric with poor bulk electrical conduction, to provide anet improvement in the conductivity of the MIS junction. These devicesovercome the statistical dopant variability problem by eliminatingsource/drain doping completely. However, these devices do have aremaining limitation in that the area of the metal-semiconductorinterface, where a metal source or drain adjoins the semiconductorchannel, is exceedingly small, being broadly comparable to the crosssectional area of the channel. U.S. Pat. No. 8,212,336 provides asolution that offers some relief to the area limitation by providing aninterface that has an area exceeding the cross-sectional area of thechannel.

It is known to induce “virtual” p-type and n-type regions using MOScapacitors. Such MOS capacitors are not conductive and do not provide acurrent to the semiconductor. The MOS capacitors induce variously (andoptionally) p-type or n-type semiconductor regions. Electrical currentinto or out of these regions is provided by other (additional)electrical contacts. See e.g., André Heinzig et al., “ReconfigurableSilicon Nanowire Transistors”, Nano Letters, Vol. 12, pp. 119-124(2012).

FIGS. 6A and 6B are reproduced from FIGS. 6a and 6c, respectively, ofU.S. Pat. No. 6,891,234, assigned to the assignee of the presentinvention, and illustrate induced charge regions in various transistorconfigurations. In both cases “virtual extensions” are induced under“overlap M” regions of low work function metals (for n-channel devices)or high work function metals (for p-channel). An “overlap M” region isdescribed as: “a conductor (in this case a metal) 92 that overlaps anextension region 94 between the source and/or drain regions 96 and thechannel region 98. This conductor 92 is separated from the extensionregion 94 by an insulator 100 and is chosen to have a workfunction thatwill induce a desired polarity and concentration of charge in theextension region 94.” Further, the “overlap M” regions are connected tothe source/drain metal regions as also described: “In illustration 6(c),transistor 113, configured in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention, has virtual extensions 114 from the n⁺ S/D regions115 that result from the use of the overlapping metal 118. These metallayers 118 are connected to the metal S/D contacts 116 and are separatedfrom the extension regions 114 and the gate 119 by an insulator 120.”

Regarding the work-functions of the overlap metals, the '234 patentstates: “In one embodiment of the present invention, the conductor usedto overlap the extension region is a metal possessing a low workfunctionΦ_(x) in an n-channel FET. This effective workfunction is considered lowwhen it is less than the electron affinity X_(c) of the semiconductor.It is generally advantageous to have Φ_(x) as low as possible. The lowerthe workfunction, the greater the amount of charge (in this caseelectrons) induced in the extension, which generally reduces theresistance of the extension region, generally advantageously increasingthe drive-current capability of the transistor. In another embodiment ofthe present invention, the workfunction Φ_(x) of the metal is high in ap-channel FET, where Φ_(x) is greater than the hole affinity of thesemiconductor (i.e., more than a bandgap greater than thesemiconductor's electron affinity). The overlapping metal in this caseinduces holes in the extension region. It is generally advantageous tohave a metal with as high a workfunction as possible. The workfunctionof the metal lies outside of the semiconductor bandgap.”

Connelly et al., “Improved Short-Channel n-FET Performance with VirtualExtensions,” Abstracts of the 5^(th) International Workshop on JunctionTechnology (2005) reports: “An alternative to purely doped S/Dextensions is to form a charge layer electrostatically, of thicknesscomparable to the channel thickness of just a few nanometers. Oneapproach, separately biased spacers, results in additional wiringcomplexity and capacitance. A better approach to electrostaticallyinduced “virtual extensions” is . . . to overlay a metal of appropriatework function above the extension regions to induce such a mobile chargelayer, a “virtual extension” . . . this creates a zero-bias MOScapacitor in the extension regions, where, for an n-FET, a negativeV_(T) results in a permanently induced charge layer that provides anultra-shallow tip to conventional S/D doping profiles.” “[T]his “virtualextension” tip can reduce the electrostatic coupling between a S/D andthe channel . . . . The metal in the thin “overlap metal” had a workfunction of 3V (n-FET), comparable to Er or Yb. The virtual extensionthus provides an ultra-thin sheet of charge.” In this paper, theexemplary virtual extension structure was modeled with an “extensionoxide thickness” of 0.7 nm, an identical “gate oxide thickness” of 0.7nm and an “overlap metal effective work-function” equal to 3 V. It isimplied therefore that there is no current flow between the overlapmetal and the semiconductor just as there is no current flow between thegate metal and the semiconductor.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,586,966 and 9,123,790 describe making contacts toFinFETs and nanowire source/drains. U.S. Pat. No. 8,586,966 states: “ananowire field effect transistor (FET) device includes a channel regionincluding a silicon nanowire portion having a first distal end extendingfrom the channel region and a second distal end extending from thechannel region, the silicon portion is partially surrounded by a gatestack disposed circumferentially around the silicon portion, a sourceregion including the first distal end of the silicon nanowire portion, adrain region including the second distal end of the silicon nanowireportion, a metallic layer disposed on the source region and the drainregion, a first conductive member contacting the metallic layer of thesource region, and a second conductive member contacting the metalliclayer of the drain region.” Doped source/drain regions are used: “Thesource and drain diffusion regions may include either N type (for NMOS)or P type (for PMOS) doped with, for example, As or P (N type) or B (Ptype) at a concentration level typically 1e19 atoms/cm³ or greater.”

Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 9,123,790 reports on “forming a contact coupledwith the channel layer, the contact being configured to surround, in atleast one planar dimension, material of the channel layer and to providea source terminal or drain terminal for the transistor.” “In someembodiments, forming the contact further includes epitaxially depositingan epitaxial film on the channel layer prior to depositing the metal toform the contact, the epitaxial film being configured to surround, inthe at least one planar dimension, the material of the channel layer andbeing disposed between the material of the channel layer and material ofthe contact.” In the specification, various doping methods aredescribed: “The source and drain regions may be formed using either animplantation/diffusion process or an etching/deposition process. In theformer process, dopants such as boron, aluminum, antimony, phosphorous,or arsenic may be ion-implanted into the substrate to form the sourceand drain regions. The ion implantation process is typically followed byan annealing process that activates the dopants and causes them todiffuse. In the latter process, materials of the stack of layers mayfirst be etched to form recesses at the locations of the source anddrain regions. An epitaxial deposition process may then be carried outto fill the recesses with a silicon alloy such as silicon germanium orsilicon carbide, thereby forming the source and drain regions. In someimplementations the epitaxially deposited silicon alloy may be doped insitu with dopants such as boron, arsenic, or phosphorous. In furtherimplementations, alternate materials may be deposited into the recessesto form the source and drain regions, such as germanium or a group III-Vmaterial or alloy.”

Fischer, S. et al., “Dopant-free complementary metal oxide silicon fieldeffect transistors,” Phys. Status Solidi A 213, No. 6, pp. 1494-1499(2016), report on dopant-free CMOS devices utilizing ultrathin siliconnitrides and metals with appropriate work functions to provide n- andp-type semiconductor contacts. The reported silicon nitride layers arethicker than a monolayer (e.g., on the order of 7-27 Angstroms), andthere is no mention of a negative Schottky barrier between the metalcontact and the semiconductor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment of the invention, a nanowire transistor includes ananowire disposed on a substrate, wherein a longitudinal length of thenanowire is made up of an undoped channel region of a firstsemiconductor material, an undoped semiconductor source regionelectrically coupled with a first end of the channel region, an undopedsemiconductor drain region electrically coupled with a second end of thechannel region, a gate stack including a gate insulator and a gateconductor coaxially wrapping completely around the channel region, asource stack including an interfacial layer and a source conductor thatis electrically isolated from the gate conductor, coaxially wrappingcompletely around the semiconductor source region and extending along atleast a portion of the semiconductor source region, and a drain stackcomprising an interfacial layer and a drain conductor that iselectrically isolated from the gate conductor, coaxially wrappingcompletely around the semiconductor drain region and extending along atleast a portion of the semiconductor drain region. A Schottky barrierbetween the source conductor and the semiconductor source region is anegative Schottky barrier and a concentration of free charge carriers isinduced in the semiconductor source region. A Schottky barrier betweenthe drain conductor and the semiconductor drain region may, but need notnecessarily, be a negative Schottky barrier such that a concentration offree charge carriers is induced in the semiconductor drain region. Insome embodiments, the nanowire of the transistor is 20 nm or less thick.In some embodiments, the free charge carriers are electrons (in whichcase the interfacial layer of the source stack may comprise a monolayerof elements from group V or group VI), while in other embodiments thefree charge carriers are holes (in which case the interfacial layer ofthe source stack may comprise a monolayer of elements from group III orgroup II).

In various instances of the nanowire transistor, the Schottky barrierbetween at least one of (a) the source conductor and the semiconductorsource region, and (b) the drain conductor and the semiconductor drainregion is between −0.1 eV and −0.5 eV. Further, in some instances, theinterfacial layer of the source stack and interfacial layer of the drainstack each may include a material that would be an insulator or asemiconductor in its bulk state.

In some instances of the nanowire transistor, the semiconductor channel,the semiconductor source region, and the semiconductor drain region areall comprised of the same semiconductor material. In other instances,however, the semiconductor channel, the semiconductor source region, andthe semiconductor drain region are not all comprised of the samesemiconductor material. In general, the semiconductor source region mayinclude silicon, germanium, silicon carbide, or an alloy comprising twoor more of silicon, germanium, carbon and tin. The interfacial layer ofthe source stack and interfacial layer of the drain stack each maycomprise a monolayer of elements from group V or group VI. A monolayerof group V or group VI atoms causes a negative Schottky barrier forelectrons and consequentially a concentration of free electrons isinduced in the semiconductor source and/or drain region. Alternatively,the interfacial layer of the source stack and interfacial layer of thedrain stack each may comprise a monolayer of elements from group III. Amonolayer of group III atoms causes a negative Schottky barrier forholes and consequentially a concentration of free holes is induced inthe semiconductor source and/or drain region.

Other embodiments of the invention include a finFET transistor, having asemiconductor fin disposed on a substrate, wherein the fin has two majorfaces and a longitudinal length of the fin includes: an undoped channelregion of a first semiconductor material, an undoped semiconductorsource region electrically coupled with a first end of the channelregion, an undoped semiconductor drain region electrically coupled witha second end of the channel region, a gate stack comprising a gateinsulator and a gate conductor wrapping around at least two sides of thechannel region, a source stack comprising an interfacial layer and asource conductor wrapping around at least two sides of the semiconductorsource region and extending along at least a portion of thesemiconductor source region, and a drain stack comprising an interfaciallayer and a drain conductor wrapping around at least two sides of thesemiconductor drain region and extending along at least a portion of thesemiconductor drain region. A Schottky barrier between the sourceconductor and the semiconductor source region is a negative Schottkybarrier causing a concentration of free carriers to be induced in thesemiconductor source region. A Schottky barrier between the drainconductor and the semiconductor drain region may, but need notnecessarily, be a negative Schottky barrier such that a concentration offree carriers is induced in the semiconductor drain region. In someembodiments, the fin has a thickness as measured between the two majorfaces of 12 nm or less.

Still other embodiments of the invention provide a nanowire transistor,which includes: a gate circumferentially surrounding and displaced froma semiconductor nanowire channel by an electrically insulating gateoxide, the semiconductor nanowire channel having no intentional doping;a source at a first end of the nanowire channel, and a drain at a secondend of the nanowire channel, the source and drain each comprisingundoped semiconductor material; and a first metal contactcircumferentially surrounding the source and providing an electricallyconductive path to the source, and a second metal contactcircumferentially surrounding the drain and providing an electricallyconductive path to the drain. The first metal contact electrostaticallyinduces free charge carriers in the source and, in some instances, thesecond metal contact may, but need not necessarily, electrostaticallyinduce free charge carriers in the drain. The first metal contact isseparated from the gate by an insulating material layer or a gap, andthe second metal contact is separated from the gate by an insulatingmaterial layer or a gap. In some instances of this nanowire transistorthe free charge carriers may be electrons, while in other instances thefree charge carriers may be holes.

In some embodiments of the nanowire transistor, a Schottky barrierbetween the first metal contact and the source may have a negativeSchottky barrier height. For example, the Schottky barrier between thefirst metal contact and the source may be between −0.1 eV and −eV.

In some embodiments of the nanowire transistor, the first metal contactis displaced from the source by a first interface layer, and the secondmetal contact is displaced from the drain by a second interface layer,the first and second interface layers each comprising a material thatwould be an insulator or a semiconductor in its bulk state. Also, insome embodiments a first interface layer at an interface between thefirst metal contact and the source and, optionally, a second interfacelayer at an interface between the second metal contact and the draineach may comprise a monolayer of elements from group V or group VI.

In some embodiments of the nanowire transistor, the semiconductornanowire channel, the source, and the drain are may be comprised of thesame semiconductor material. The semiconductor material may be silicon,germanium, silicon carbide, a compound semiconductor, a fullerene, or analloy comprising two or more of silicon, germanium, carbon and tin. Inother embodiments, the semiconductor nanowire channel, the source, andthe drain are not all comprised of the same semiconductor material.

In still other embodiments of the invention, a nanowire device includesan undoped channel region of a first semiconductor material; an undopedsemiconductor source region electrically coupled with a first end of thechannel region; an undoped semiconductor drain region electricallycoupled with a second end of the channel region; a gate stack comprisinga gate insulator and a gate conductor coaxially wrapping completelyaround the channel region; a source stack electrically isolated from thegate conductor, coaxially wrapping completely around the semiconductorsource region and extending along at least a portion of thesemiconductor source region; and a drain stack electrically isolatedfrom the gate conductor, coaxially wrapping completely around thesemiconductor drain region and extending along at least a portion of thesemiconductor drain region; wherein the source stack comprises a sourceconductor contacting an interfacial layer disposed over thesemiconductor source region, the interfacial layer including at leastone epitaxial bilayer of group III and group V atomic monolayers.

In such a nanowire device, the source conductor may be a degeneratelydoped n-type semiconductor, wherein the monolayer of group V atoms isadjacent to and in contact with the source region, the source regioncomprises a group IV semiconductor source region, and the monolayer ofgroup III atoms is adjacent to and in contact with the degeneratelyn-type doped semiconductor. The group IV semiconductor and thedegenerately doped n-type semiconductor may be different semiconductormaterials, or may be the same semiconductor material. For example, wherethe interfacial layer includes a monolayer of gallium (Ga) atoms and amonolayer of arsenic (As) atoms, the group IV semiconductor and thedegenerately doped n-type semiconductor may each comprise germanium(Ge).

In different embodiments of the nanowire device, the source conductormay be a degenerately doped p-type semiconductor, wherein the monolayerof group V atoms is adjacent to and in contact with the degeneratelydoped p-type semiconductor, the source region comprises a group IVsemiconductor source region, and the monolayer of group III atoms isadjacent to and in contact with the group IV semiconductor. In suchinstances, the group IV semiconductor and the degenerately doped p-typesemiconductor may be the same semiconductor material or differentsemiconductor materials. For example, where the interfacial layerincludes a monolayer of gallium (Ga) atoms and a monolayer of arsenic(As) atoms, the group IV semiconductor and the degenerately doped p-typesemiconductor may each comprise germanium (Ge).

In still another embodiment of the invention, a nanowire device includesa nanowire disposed on a substrate, wherein a longitudinal length of thenanowire comprises: an undoped channel region of a first semiconductormaterial; an undoped semiconductor source region electrically coupledwith a first end of the channel region; an undoped semiconductor drainregion electrically coupled with a second end of the channel region; agate stack comprising a gate insulator and a gate conductor coaxiallywrapping completely around the channel region; a source stackelectrically isolated from the gate conductor, coaxially wrappingcompletely around the semiconductor source region and extending along atleast a portion of the semiconductor source region; and a drain stackelectrically isolated from the gate conductor, coaxially wrappingcompletely around the semiconductor drain region and extending along atleast a portion of the semiconductor drain region. The source stackincludes a source conductor contacting the semiconductor source regionand extending along at least a portion of the semiconductor sourceregion, the source conductor comprising a degenerately p-type dopedsemiconductor and there is an offset in valence band energy between thedegenerately doped p-type semiconductor and the semiconductor sourceregion such that a valence band maximum in the degenerately doped p-typesemiconductor is at a lower energy than a valence band maximum in thesemiconductor source region. In such a nanowire device, thesemiconductor source region may include germanium and the degeneratelydoped p-type semiconductor may include degenerately doped p-type silicongermanium.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and notlimitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows an example of a gate-all-around nanowire transistor.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a gate-all-around nanowire transistorconfigured in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3A is an illustration, for an “n-type” contact, of a negativeSchottky barrier in which the Fermi level of a metal is at a higherenergy than a conduction band edge of a semiconductor.

FIG. 3B illustrates the effect of electron transfer from a metal topopulate the surface of a semiconductor, establishing electrostaticequilibrium between the metal and semiconductor.

FIG. 4A is an illustration, for a “p-type” contact, of a negativeSchottky barrier in which the Fermi level of a metal is at a lowerenergy than a valence band edge of a semiconductor.

FIG. 4B illustrates the effect of valence electron transfer from thesurface of a semiconductor to a metal, where the surface of thesemiconductor is populated with holes to an extent necessary toestablish electrostatic equilibrium between the metal and semiconductor.

FIG. 5 illustrates electron concentrations for a cross section along afin of a finFET transistor.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are reproduced from FIGS. 6a and 6c, respectively, ofU.S. Pat. No. 6,891,234, assigned to the assignee of the presentinvention, and illustrate induced charge regions in various transistorconfigurations.

FIG. 7A shows an example of wrap around MIS contacts for FinFETs andFIG. 7B shows an example of wrap around MIS contacts for stackednanowire FETS, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8A shows an example of an epitaxial silicon contact to source/drainregions of nanowire FETs.

FIG. 8B shows an example of wrap around MIS contacts for stackednanowire FETs in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 9A and 9B show comparisons of current distribution for stackednanowire FETs with an epitaxial silicon contact (FIG. 9A) and wraparound MIS contacts (FIG. 9B).

FIG. 10 shows an example of a wrap around MIS contact for a FinFET inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present inventors recognized a desire for a metal-semiconductorcontact in a transistor that is as large as possible, unconstrained bythe cross-sectional area of the channel, and such a contact is providedby the present invention by decoupling the metal-semiconductor contactinterface from the cross-section of the semiconductor channel. Theinvention provides a solution that addresses some of the many challengesto the scaling of MOS transistors into the nanoscale, namely excessiverandom variability in source/drain doping and increasingmetal-semiconductor contact resistance, by (i) eliminating source/draindopants, and (ii) increasing the area of the source/drainmetal-semiconductor contacts.

The present invention includes a metal-semiconductor junction thatprovides induced charge in the semiconductor region and also a directpath for the flow of electrical current into the semiconductor region.We call the induced charge region an “induced source/drain”. For aninduced source/drain to be as effective as a doped source/drain, itshould have a comparable concentration of free carriers, on the order of10²⁰ per cm³. A negative Schottky barrier height between thesource/drain metal and the semiconductor is required to achieve such acarrier concentration. In various embodiments there is a deliberateinterfacial layer between the metal and semiconductor at themetal-semiconductor junction, the interfacial layer serving the purposeof ensuring a required negative Schottky barrier height. The interfaciallayer in certain embodiments is comprised of a monolayer of atoms. Theatoms may be any of N, As, P, O, S, Se, or Te for n-channel transistorsor B, Ga, Al, Zn, Cd or O for p-channel transistors. The interfaciallayer in certain other embodiments is a “thin insulator” comprising amaterial that would be an insulator in its bulk state but which isconductive when very thin (in the thickness range 0.2 nm to 2 nm). Inthese embodiments, the interfacial layer at the metal-semiconductorjunction is not comparable or equivalent to the thin insulator thatseparates the gate from the semiconductor channel. Specifically, theinterfacial layer is selected to be highly conductive between the metaland the induced source/drain whereas the gate insulator being selectedto be non-conductive between the gate and the channel.

The present invention overcomes many limitations of conventionalcontacts between metals and doped semiconductor bodies by inducing freecarriers (electrons or holes) in the surface of a semiconductor bodythrough electrostatic inducement rather than by doping the semiconductorwith impurity atoms. Free carriers are induced in a semiconductorsource/drain, close to an interface with an adjacent contacting metal byensuring a negative Schottky barrier between the metal and thesemiconductor.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a gate-all-around nanowire transistor 20configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Inthis example, a gate wraps completely around a semiconductor channel. Agate oxide is disposed concentrically between the gate and the channel.Undoped semiconductor source and drain regions are located at oppositeends of the channel and have associated circumferential metal contactsseparated from the gate by respective sidewall spacers. Between thesource/drain contacts and the source/drain regions are disposedcircumferential I-layers (interfacial layers) having the characteristicsdescribed herein. The existence of the I-layer ensures a negativeSchottky barrier between the metal source/drain contact and thesemiconductor source/drain, causing free carriers to be induced in thesurface of the semiconductor body comprising the source/drain. Note thatit is a characteristic of the present invention that the Schottkybarrier between the metal source contact and the semiconductor source isa negative Schottky barrier, causing free carriers to be induced in thesurface of the semiconductor body comprising the source, but that it isoptional for the Schottky barrier between the metal drain contact andthe semiconductor drain to be a negative Schottky barrier. Where theSchottky barrier between the metal drain contact and the semiconductordrain is a negative Schottky barrier, free carriers will be induced inthe surface of the semiconductor body comprising the drain. Thisillustrated embodiment of the invention is distinguished from theconventional nanowire transistor illustrated in FIG. 1 by having nointentional doping in the nanowire transistor source/drain and by havinga negative Schottky barrier between the metal source/drain contacts andthe semiconductor source/drain.

It may be possible, in some embodiments to avoid the use of an I-layerif, for example, a contact metal or metals comprising the source/draincontact(s) and the semiconductor material comprising the semiconductorsource/drain are paired such that the metal-semiconductor junction has anegative Schottky barrier. In other embodiments, the I-layer may be amulti-layer structure, including at least a passivation layer and aseparation (or spacer) layer, where the passivation layer is adjacentthe semiconductor material comprising the semiconductor source/drain.

In detail, for an “n-type” contact, a negative Schottky barrier meansthat the Fermi level of the metal is at a higher energy than theconduction band edge of the semiconductor, as illustrated in FIG. 3A,and electrons are able to conduct between the metal and thesemiconductor. Under these conditions, as illustrated in FIG. 3B, someelectrons transfer from the metal and populate the surface of thesemiconductor to establish electrostatic equilibrium between the metaland semiconductor. As indicated above, in some embodiments of theinvention an interfacial layer is present between the metal and thesemiconductor, the interfacial layer permitting electrons to flow withlittle impedance between the metal and the semiconductor and theinterfacial layer having the purpose of causing the Schottky barrier tobe negative. Interfacial layers that can cause a negative Schottkybarrier for electrons include tunneling dielectrics such as titaniumoxide, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and vanadium oxide. When suchinterfacial layers are used to cause a negative Schottky barrier forelectrons, the contacting metal is preferably, but for n-FET contactsneed not necessarily be, a low work function metal such as aluminum,hafnium, zirconium, titanium, lanthanum, magnesium, silver, erbium,yttrium or ytterbium. Other interfacial layers that can cause a negativeSchottky barrier for electrons at metal contacts to group IVsemiconductors such as silicon and germanium include dipole-inducingmonolayers of group V elements such as arsenic, phosphorus or nitrogenor dipole-inducing monolayers of group VI elements such as or sulfur,selenium, tellurium or oxygen or bilayers of group V and group IIIelements where the group V atoms are on the semiconductor side of thecontact and group III atoms on the metal side. Some embodiments ofn-type contacts with negative Schottky barriers have a low work functioncontact metal such as aluminum, hafnium, zirconium, titanium, lanthanum,magnesium, silver, erbium, yttrium or ytterbium, with an interfaciallayer between the low work function metal and the semiconductor. Otherembodiments of n-type contacts with negative Schottky barriers have alow work function contact metal that is a metal oxide such as zinc oxide(ZnO), with an interfacial layer between the low work function metaloxide and the semiconductor.

For a “p-type” contact, a negative Schottky barrier means that the Fermilevel of the metal is at a lower energy than the valence band edge ofthe semiconductor as depicted in FIG. 4A. This may be considered anegative Schottky barrier for holes. Under these conditions, somevalence electrons transfer from the surface of the semiconductor to themetal and the surface of the semiconductor is populated with holes to anextent necessary to establish electrostatic equilibrium between themetal and semiconductor, as indicated in FIG. 4B. It is possible for aninterfacial layer to be present between the metal and the semiconductor,the interfacial layer permitting holes (or in alternative interpretationelectrons moving in the opposite direction), to flow with littleimpedance between the metal and the semiconductor. For “p-typecontacts”, the interfacial layer has the purpose of causing the Schottkybarrier for holes to be negative. Interfacial layers that can cause anegative Schottky barrier for holes include tunneling dielectrics suchas zinc oxide. When such interfacial layers are used to cause a negativeSchottky barrier for holes, the contacting metal is preferably, but forp-FET contacts need not necessarily be, a high work function contactmetal such as nickel, cobalt, iridium, rhodium, ruthenium, gold, osmium,palladium or platinum, or a high work function conductive metal oxidesuch as MoO_(x), WO_(x), CrO_(x) (each with composition factor xapproximately equal to 3) or V₂O₅. In some embodiments, pFET and nFETcontacts may comprise the same metal, but have different interfaciallayers to provide the desired negative Schottky barriers in each case.

Other interfacial layers that can cause a negative Schottky barrier forholes on group IV semiconductors include dipole-inducing monolayers ofgroup III elements such as boron, gallium or aluminum or bilayers ofgroup V and group III elements where the group V atoms are on the metalside of the contact and group III atoms on the semiconductor side. Somepreferred embodiments of p-type contacts have a high work functioncontact metal such as nickel, cobalt, iridium, rhodium, ruthenium, gold,osmium, palladium or platinum, or a high work function conductive metaloxide such as MoO_(x), WO_(x), CTO_(x) (with x approximately equal to 3)or high work-function V₂O, (with x approximately equal to 5) with aninterfacial layer between the high work function metal (or metal oxide)and the semiconductor.

The invention also has great utility where a low resistancemetal-contacted source or drain is required in a semiconductor materialthat might not be doped conveniently or for which doping might not bepossible at all. Examples of such semiconductors may be two-dimensionalsemiconductors such as graphene, germanene, phosphorene, stannene andsilicene or two-dimensional layered transition metal dichalcogenide(TMDC) semiconductors such as MoS and WSe which have recently beenrecognized as strong candidates as future transistor channel materials.Other materials that may not be amenable to conventional doping includeorganic semiconductors, polymer semiconductors, fullerenes such ascarbon nanotubes, amorphous semiconductors, perovskites. Allsemiconductors in the form of a nanoscale thin film or nanowire benefitfrom this invention by virtue of the fact that free carriers are inducedin the semiconductor material by an adjacent metal so long as there is anegative Schottky barrier between the metal and the semiconductor.

If the semiconductor is a thin film or two-dimensional semiconductor,typically having a thickness of 12 nm or less, with two primary faces,it is preferred to have metal contacts on both faces with both metalcontacts having a negative Schottky barrier to the semiconductor. Note,however, that it is a characteristic of the present invention that theSchottky barrier between the metal source contact and the semiconductorsource is a negative Schottky barrier, but that it is optional for theSchottky barrier between the metal drain contact and the semiconductordrain to be a negative Schottky barrier.

If the semiconductor is a “one-dimensional” semiconductor, eithercylindrical, such as a carbon nanotube, or a semiconductor “nanowire”where the wire may have circular, square or any other cross-sectionalshape with a wire width of approximately 20 nm or less, it is preferredto have the metal contact wrap around the outer surface of the nanowire,again with the metal contact having a negative Schottky barrier to thesemiconductor.

In a transistor with a fully depleted channel (may be a FinFET, FDSOIFET or nanowire FET), a thin body of semiconductor includes a channelregion and source and drain regions where the source/drain regions areundoped and the source/drain metal contacts surround the semiconductoron two sides (FDSOI-FET or FinFET) or completely (nanowire FET).

In other embodiments, the free carriers induced by the contact metalwith negative Schottky barrier may be additional to free carriersintroduced into the semiconductor by doping. As such it is not essentialthat the semiconductor be undoped for the invention to provide anadvantage in a semiconductor device. For example, the source and drainregions of a nanowire or FinFET transistor maybe doped conventionally(e.g., by diffusion of atoms from an external solid source or ionimplantation and thermal activation) and the randomness of the dopantstolerated, the induced carriers provided by this invention beingadditional to the carriers provided by doping and therefore reducing thevariability while not eliminating it.

In one embodiment, a nanowire transistor comprises a nanowire disposedon a substrate. The nanowire further comprises, along a longitudinallength, an undoped channel region of a first semiconductor material, anundoped semiconductor source region electrically coupled with a firstend of the channel region and an undoped semiconductor drain regionelectrically coupled with a second end of the channel region. A gatestack comprising a gate insulator and a gate conductor is wrappedcoaxially completely around the channel region and controls electricalconduction through the semiconductor (channel) between the source anddrain regions.

A source contact stack comprises an interfacial layer and a sourceconductor coaxially wrapping completely around the semiconductor sourceregion and extending along at least a portion of the semiconductorsource region. A drain stack comprises an interfacial layer and a drainconductor coaxially wrapping completely around the semiconductor drainregion and extending along at least a portion of the semiconductor drainregion. The Schottky barrier between the source conductor and thesemiconductor source region is a negative Schottky barrier and aconcentration of free carriers is induced in the semiconductor sourceregion. The Schottky barrier between the drain conductor and thesemiconductor drain region may, but need not necessarily, be a negativeSchottky barrier, but if it is, a concentration of free carriers isinduced in the semiconductor drain region. The thickness of the nanowirein the nanowire transistor is 20 nm or less. The first undopedsemiconductor in the channel region and the source region may becomprised of the same semiconductor material. Alternatively, the sourceregion may be comprised of a semiconductor material that is differentfrom the first semiconductor material in the channel region.

In another embodiment, a finFET transistor comprises a semiconductor findisposed on a substrate, wherein the fin has two major faces. FIG. 5represents a cross section along the fin 500. A longitudinal length ofthe fin comprises an undoped channel region of a first semiconductormaterial, an undoped semiconductor source region electrically coupledwith a first end of the channel region and an undoped semiconductordrain region electrically coupled with a second end of the channelregion. A gate stack comprising a gate insulator 502 and a gateconductor 504 wraps around at least two sides of the channel region andprovides electrical control of the current flow between the source andthe drain.

The source region is electrically contacted through a source contactstack comprising an interfacial layer and a source conductor 510wrapping around at least two sides of the semiconductor source regionand extending along at least a portion of the semiconductor sourceregion. The drain region is electrically contacted through a draincontact stack comprising an interfacial layer and a drain conductor 512wrapping around at least two sides of the semiconductor drain region andextending along at least a portion of the semiconductor drain region.The Schottky barrier between the source conductor and the semiconductorsource region is a negative Schottky barrier causing a concentration offree carriers to be induced in the semiconductor source region 508. TheSchottky barrier between the drain conductor and the semiconductor drainregion may, but need not necessarily, be a negative Schottky barrier,but if it is, a concentration of free carriers is induced in thesemiconductor drain region 509.

The source conductor 510 and the drain conductor 512 are electricallyisolated from the gate 504 by insulating gate sidewall spacers 506. Thethickness of the fin of the FinFET transistor as measured between thetwo vertical faces is 12 nm or less The first undoped semiconductor inthe channel region and the source region may be comprised of the samesemiconductor material. Alternatively, the source region may becomprised of a semiconductor material that is different from the firstsemiconductor material in the channel region. The first undopedsemiconductor in the channel region and the drain region may becomprised of the same semiconductor material. Alternatively, the drainregion may be comprised of a semiconductor material that is differentfrom the first semiconductor material in the channel region.

In other embodiments a source region is electrically contacted through asource contact stack comprising an interfacial layer and a sourceconductor wrapping around at least two sides of the semiconductor sourceregion and extending along at least a portion of the semiconductorsource region and having a negative Schottky barrier for electrons and adrain region is electrically contacted through a drain contact stackcomprising an interfacial layer and a drain conductor wrapping around atleast two sides of the semiconductor drain region and extending along atleast a portion of the semiconductor drain region and, optionally,having a negative Schottky barrier for holes such that the carriersinduced in the source region are of opposite type to the carriersinduced in the drain region. Such a configuration of “n-type” source and“p-type” drain may be useful for example for providing a gated diodeelectrical function.

In other embodiments, a source region is electrically contacted througha source contact stack comprising an interfacial layer and a sourceconductor wrapping around at least two sides of the semiconductor sourceregion and extending along at least a portion of the semiconductorsource region and having a negative Schottky barrier for holes and adrain region is electrically contacted through a drain contact stackcomprising an interfacial layer and a drain conductor wrapping around atleast two sides of the semiconductor drain region and extending along atleast a portion of the semiconductor drain region and, optionally,having a negative Schottky barrier for electrons with the result thatthe carriers induced in the source region are of opposite polarity tothe carriers induced in the drain region. Such a configuration of“p-type” source and “n-type” drain may be useful for example forproviding a gated diode electrical function.

In still further embodiments, a source contact stack comprises a sourceconductor contacting a semiconductor source region and extending alongat least a portion of the semiconductor source region wherein the sourceconductor is a degenerately n-type doped semiconductor and there is anoffset in conduction band energy between the degenerately dopedsemiconductor and the semiconductor source region such that theconduction band minimum in the degenerately doped n-type semiconductoris at a higher energy than the conduction band minimum in thesemiconductor source region. As a consequence of the conduction bandoffset, electrons from the degenerately doped n-type semiconductorpopulate the semiconductor source region.

Still another embodiment of the invention provides an interfacial layerthat causes the offset in the conduction band energies referred toabove. A preferred interfacial layer that causes the desired offset inthe conduction band energies comprises at least one epitaxial bilayer ofgroup III and group V atomic monolayers, such interfacial layer causingan electronic dipole that induces the conduction band offset (asdetailed in the present applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 9,362,376,incorporated herein by reference).

One example of a source contact stack in which a source conductor is adegenerately n-type doped semiconductor is a source contact stack inwhich the source material is silicon and the degenerately doped n-typesemiconductor that contacts the source is degenerately doped n-typegallium phosphide (GaP). The desired conduction band offset arisesnaturally between GaP and silicon with the conduction band edge in theGaP being at a higher energy than the conduction band edge in thesilicon. The use of a source contact stack in which a source conductoris a degenerately n-type doped semiconductor in accordance withembodiments of the present invention is not limited to n-type GaPcontacting silicon but should be understood to include a coupling of anytwo semiconductors that have a naturally occurring conduction bandoffset at their heterointerface. These include, in addition to GaP, thefollowing: Ge; AlAs; AlSb, ZnS; ZnSe and ZnTe.

Alternatively, in another embodiment, an interfacial layer between agroup IV semiconductor source region and a degenerately n-type dopedsemiconductor contact region causes an additional offset in theconduction band energies. A preferred interfacial layer that causes thedesired offset in the conduction band energies comprises at least oneepitaxial bilayer of group III and group V atomic monolayers, with themonolayer of group V atoms being adjacent to and in contact with thegroup IV semiconductor source region and the monolayer of group IIIatoms being adjacent to and in contact with the degenerately n-typedoped semiconductor contact region. In this embodiment, the group IVsemiconductor source region and the degenerately doped semiconductorcontact region may be formed of different semiconductor materials or ofthe same semiconductor material. In one example, a junction between tworegions of germanium (Ge) are separated by an interface layer comprisinga monolayer of gallium (Ga) and a monolayer of arsenic (As) atoms, theGe conduction band edge on the As side of the junction is at a lowerenergy (of the order of 0.35-0.45 eV) than the Ge conduction band edgeon the Ga side of the junction. Such an interfacial layer causes anelectronic dipole that induces the valence band offset is described inU.S. Pat. No. 9,362,376 and in a 1991 article by McKinley et al.entitled “Control of Ge homojunction band offsets via ultrathin Ga—Asdipole layers,” J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 9 (3), May/June 1991, and in asimilar article by McKinley et al. in 1992, entitled “Control of Gehomojunction band offsets via ultrathin Ga—As dipole layers,” AppliedSurface Science Vol. 56-58, pp. 762-765 (1992).

Equivalent embodiments for instances in which holes are the chargecarries are also embodiments of the present invention. For example, asource contact stack may comprise a source conductor contacting asemiconductor source region and extending along at least a portion ofthe semiconductor source region, wherein the source conductor is adegenerately p-type doped semiconductor and there is an offset invalence band energy between the degenerately doped p-type semiconductorand the semiconductor source region such that the valence band maximumin the degenerately doped semiconductor is at a lower energy than thevalence band maximum in the semiconductor source region. As aconsequence of the conduction band offset, holes from the degeneratelydoped p-type semiconductor populate the semiconductor source region.

One example is a source contact stack in which the source material isgermanium and the degenerately doped p-type semiconductor that contactsthe source is degenerately doped p-type silicon germanium (SiGe) alloy.The desired valence band offset arises naturally between germanium andSiGe with the valence band edge in the SiGe being at a lower energy thanthe valence band edge in the germanium. Embodiments of the invention arenot limited to p-type SiGe contacting germanium but should be understoodto include a coupling of any two semiconductors that have a naturallyoccurring valence band offset at their heterointerface.

Alternatively, in another embodiment, an interfacial layer between agroup IV semiconductor source region and a degenerately dopedsemiconductor contact region causes an additional offset in the valenceband energies. A preferred interfacial layer that causes the desiredoffset in the valence band energies comprises at least one epitaxialbilayer of group III and group V atomic monolayers, with the monolayerof group III atoms being adjacent to and in contact with the group IVsemiconductor source region and the monolayer of group V atoms beingadjacent to and in contact with the degenerately p-type dopedsemiconductor contact region. In this embodiment, the group IVsemiconductor source region and the degenerately doped semiconductorcontact region may be formed of different semiconductor materials of thesame semiconductor material. In an exemplary junction between tworegions of germanium (Ge) separated by an interface layer comprising amonolayer of gallium (Ga) and a monolayer of arsenic (As) atoms, the Gevalence band edge on the As side of the junction is at a lower energy(of the order of 0.35-0.45 eV) than the Ge valence band edge on the Gaside of the junction. Such an interfacial layer causes an electronicdipole that induces the valence band offset is described in U.S. Pat.No. 9,362,376, and in the McKinley articles cited above.

In the above description, the nanowire has been described (at least inthe accompanying illustrations) as having a circular or approximatelycircular cross-section. However, the invention is not limited to suchgeometries and nanowires of the present invention may have other shapes,such as square, rectangular, oval, or other cross-sections. Suchgeometries may be recognized as “nanosheets” and as used herein the termnanowire should be read as including nanosheets. Stated differently, thecross-sectional shape of the nanowire is not critical to the presentinvention.

Similarly, the foregoing description refers to a gate stack wrappingcompletely around a channel region; a source stack coaxially wrappingcompletely around a semiconductor source region; and a drain stackcoaxially wrapping completely around a semiconductor drain region. Sucha geometry is true for a three-dimensional nanowire—that is, a nanowirehaving a three-dimensional cross-section. However, the present inventionis also applicable to nanowires comprised of two-dimensionalsemiconductors, such as graphene, hexagonal boron nitride, or transitionmetal dichalocogenides (e.g., MoS2, MoSe2, MOTe2, WS2, WSe2, WTe2,etc.). In such instances, “wrapping completely around” should beunderstood as including instances where contact is made to both(opposing) sides of the two-dimensional semiconductor. In some cases,contacts may be made to only a single face of a two-dimensionalsemiconductor, but such instances would not be considered as a stack“wrapping completely around” a region.

In various embodiments, the present invention further provideswraparound MIS contacts to FinFETs and/or stacked nanowire FETs. Onebenefit provided by the present wrap around MIS contacts over silicidecontacts is that it avoids the need to deposit sacrificial silicon (orother semiconductor material), e.g., in the case of forming contacts forFinFETs, for silicide contacts. In the case of nanowires, the use ofwraparound MIS contacts allows for the use of a surrounding metalcontact rather than an epitaxial silicon contact, which improves currentload balancing across a stack of nanowires.

FIG. 7A shows an example of wrap around MIS contacts for FinFETs andFIG. 7B shows an example of wrap around MIS contacts for stackednanowire FETS, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.In the example shown in FIG. 7A, semiconductor fins 710 are wrapped byinterface layers (“I-layer”) 712, which in turn are wrapped by contactmetal layers 714. The interface layers and the contact metal layers maybe deposited using atomic layer deposition (ALD) techniques. In FIG. 7b, semiconductor nanowires 716 a-716 c are stacked in a verticalarrangement. Each nanowire is wrapped by an interface layer 718, which,in turn, is wrapped by a contact metal layer 720. The interface layersand the contact metal layers may be deposited using atomic layerdeposition (ALD) techniques. In some embodiments, conductive metal oxidewrap around MIS contacts for FinFETs and stacked nanowire FETS may beemployed. Many conductive metal oxides are available. Lower workfunctionmetals may be preferred for NMOS applications (e.g., ZnO), and higherworkfunction metals may be preferred for PMOS applications (e.g., MoO₂).Interface layers in such embodiments may also include metal oxides,where lower electron barrier metals may be preferred for NMOSapplications (e.g., TiO₂), and lower hole barrier metals may bepreferred for PMOS applications. Lower temperature metal oxidedepositions are preferred (e.g., plasma assisted ALD, thermal ALD withozone).

FIG. 8B shows an example of wrap around MIS contacts for stackednanowire FETs in accordance with an embodiment of the present inventionas compared to an epitaxial silicon contact shown in FIG. 8A. In FIG. 8Asingle doped epitaxial silicon contacts 710, 712 are made tosource/drain regions of stacked nanowires. In FIG. 8B, wrap around MIScontacts 714, 716 are made to source/drain regions of stacked nanowires.

FIGS. 9A and 9B shows comparisons of current distribution for stackednanowire FETs having an epitaxial silicon contact (FIG. 9A) and wraparound MIS contacts in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention (FIG. 9B). Each illustration shows a stack of nanowire FETs incross section, where the nanowires are shaded to represent respectivecurrent densities therein according to simulation results. In FIG. 9A,stacked nanowire FETs 910 a-910 e are contacted by an epitaxial siliconcontact 912. In FIG. 9B, stacked nanowire FETs 914 a-914 e are contactedby an MIS contact 916. Not shown are the electrical contacts to thestacks, but they are assumed to be at the top of the stacks as orientedon the page. As illustrated, simulation showed that improved currentdistribution over the nanowires having MIS contacts provides lowervariability than in a stack with an epitaxial silicon contact, ascurrent is better averaged over all of the nanowires in the stack. Thismay also improve reliability as it may reduce individual wire heatingdue to current flow.

FIG. 10 shows an example of a wrap around MIS contact for a FinFET inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. FinFET 1000includes source 1002, drain 1004, and gate 1006. Disposed between thesource and drain is a channel region 1008. A gate dielectric 1010 isdisposed between the gate and the channel. The source, drain, andchannel region form a “fin” of a semiconductor substrate 1012, on whichis disposed an oxide layer 1014. The MIS contact in this example isshown for the source 1002 and includes a metal contact plug 1016surrounding an interface layer 1018. In this example, the MIS contactwould be considered “wrapped completely around” the source inasmuch asit contacts at least two sides of the fin.

Thus, semiconductor devices having a region of undoped semiconductormaterial that is made effectively n-type or p-type by inducing aquantity of electrons or holes (respectively) on the semiconductor sideof a metal-semiconductor junction by virtue of a negative Schottkybarrier between the metal and the semiconductor have been described.

What is claimed is:
 1. A fin field-effect transistor (finFET),comprising: a semiconductor fin disposed on a substrate, wherein the finhas two major faces and a longitudinal length of the fin comprises: anundoped channel region of a first semiconductor material; an undopedsemiconductor source region electrically coupled with a first end of thechannel region; an undoped semiconductor drain region electricallycoupled with a second end of the channel region; a gate stack comprisinga gate insulator and a gate conductor wrapping around at least two sidesof the channel region; a source stack comprising a first interfaciallayer and a source conductor wrapping around at least two sides of thesemiconductor source region and extending along at least a portion ofthe semiconductor source region; and a drain stack comprising a secondinterfacial layer and a drain conductor wrapping around at least twosides of the semiconductor drain region and extending along at least aportion of the semiconductor drain region, wherein a Schottky barrierbetween the source conductor and the semiconductor source region is anegative Schottky barrier causing a concentration of free carriers to beinduced in the semiconductor source region.
 2. The finFET of claim 1,wherein a Schottky barrier between the drain conductor and thesemiconductor drain region is a negative Schottky barrier and aconcentration of free carriers is induced in the semiconductor drainregion.
 3. The finFET of claim 1, wherein the fin has a thickness asmeasured between the two major faces of 12 nm or less.
 4. The finFET ofclaim 1, wherein the free charge carriers induced in the semiconductorsource region are electrons.
 5. The finFET of claim 1, wherein the freecharge carriers induced in the semiconductor source region are holes. 6.The finFET of claim 1, wherein the negative Schottky barrier between thesource conductor and the source is between −0.1 eV and −0.5 eV.
 7. ThefinFET of claim 1, wherein first the interfacial layer comprises amaterial that would be an insulator or a semiconductor in its bulkstate; and wherein a conductive path is provided between the sourceconductor and the semiconductor source region by quantum mechanicaltunneling through the first interfacial layer.
 8. The finFET of claim 1,wherein the second interfacial layer comprises a material that would bean insulator or a semiconductor in its bulk state; and wherein aconductive path is provided between the drain conductor and thesemiconductor drain region by quantum mechanical tunneling through thesecond interfacial layer.
 9. A fin field-effect transistor (finFET),comprising: a semiconductor fin on a top surface of a substrate, thesemiconductor fin including a middle section, and a first end sectionand a second end section on opposite ends of the middle section, themiddle section, the first end section, and the second end section beingundoped; a gate dielectric layer on a top surface and sidewalls of themiddle section of the semiconductor fin; a gate electrode on the gatedielectric layer; a first metal contact adjacent at least two sides ofthe first end section and providing an electrically conductive path tothe first end section, and a second metal contact adjacent at least twosides of the second end section and providing an electrically conductivepath to the second end section; wherein the first metal contact inducesfree charge carriers in the first end section, the first metal contactis separated from the gate electrode by an insulating material layer ora gap, and the second metal contact is separated from the gate electrodeby an insulating material layer or a gap.
 10. The finFET of claim 9,wherein the second metal contact induces free charge carriers in thedrain.
 11. The finFET of claim 9, wherein the free charge carriers areelectrons.
 12. The finFET of claim 9, wherein the free charge carriersare holes.
 13. The finFET of claim 9, wherein a Schottky barrier betweenthe first metal contact and the first end section has a negativeSchottky barrier height.
 14. The finFET of claim 9, wherein a Schottkybarrier height between the first metal contact and the first end sectionis between −0.1 eV and −0.5 eV.
 15. The finFET of claim 9, wherein thefirst metal contact is displaced from the first end section by a firstinterface layer, and the second metal contact is displaced from thesecond end section by a second interface layer, the first and secondinterface layers each comprising a material that would be an insulatoror a semiconductor in its bulk state.
 16. The finFET of claim 9, whereina first interface layer at an interface between the first metal contactand the first end section and a second interface layer at an interfacebetween the second metal contact and the second end section eachcomprise a monolayer of elements from group V or group VI and theinduced free charge carriers are electrons.
 17. The finFET of claim 9,wherein a first interface layer at an interface between the first metalcontact and the first end section and a second interface layer at aninterface between the second metal contact and the second end sectioneach comprise a monolayer of elements from group III and the inducedfree charge carriers are holes.
 18. The finFET of claim 9, wherein themiddle section, the first end section, and the second end section areall comprised of the same semiconductor material.
 19. The finFET ofclaim 18, wherein the semiconductor material is silicon, germanium,silicon carbide, a compound semiconductor, a fullerene, or an alloycomprising two or more of silicon, germanium, carbon and tin.
 20. ThefinFET of claim 9, wherein the middle section, the first end section,and the second end section are not all comprised of the samesemiconductor material.